Wednesday, 26 February 2014

I've now made two little coasters (and no doubt more to come!) from scrap wool using the cardboard loom I made from scrap cardboard. The blue one I made using quite thick wool, with which it's easier to control the tension, the other one is made using thinner wool, which kept pulling tight and as a result the coaster is a little warped in shape.

This is a great way of using up scrap wool and cardboard and the coasters are very useful. You could use them also as alternatives to crocheted granny squares to make a blanket. You could also make a loom of a different shape and make place mats or possible even woollen bracelets.

It's a great craft for kids, you can experiment with using thicker wool, more widely spaced warp threads (the basic lengthways threads laid down at the beginning of the process) and use a shoebox lid as the loom to make it easier to weave the wool through the warp threads.

People have been giving me their scrap wool in the last week or so, with more promised, so I'll be doing much more of this weaving in the near future.

Meanwhile I've added some more chopstick bags to the Crafty Green Poet Etsy shop. You can see them here and here. I'm just now making some similar bags for descant recorders, which I'll blog about and add to the shop in due course.

As ever, red text contains hyperlinks that take you to other webpages where you can find out more.

It was a beautiful day today, windy but clear and mild. Lots of birds around. The wonderful sound of the year's first full song from the skylarks. Stonechats chasing each other between the fence posts and through the long grass. Velvet scoters and long tailed ducks on the sea.

Monday, 24 February 2014

This is a fascinating and entertaining collection of essays about birdwatching in southern Africa, edited by Harvey Tyson.

Essays are contributed by a range of well-known South Africans including wine experts, runners and naturalists, all of whom share a passion. Birds.

The essays are engrossing, even for those of us who don't know the birds of southern Africa (and I know only a few, having not spent enough time birdwatching when I lived in Malawi, even on my holidays to Zimbabwe and Botswana). Between them the essays offer a wealth of information on the birds of the region and amusing insights into the lives and interests of that strange species of human known as a birdwatcher (or birder, or sometimes, in extreme circumstances, twitcher).

Here is a story of running exhaustingly up sand dunes in the Namib Desert in pursuit of the incredibly elusive Dune Lark only to have it eventually perch on a nearby branch and sing it song loudly and clearly for ten minutes. Stories of leading difficult groups on birdwatching holidays (making me thankful of the easy going groups that come along on the birdwatching walks I lead for Edinburgh City Council). A fascinating essay on the role of birds in San (bushmen) cave paintings.Musings on the joys of birdwatching in South African gardens.

The essay that spoke to me the most was Just for a Lark, Harvey Tyson's own contribution. His account of getting lost in the Kalahari Desert took me right back to the time when I travelled in the back of a huge truck across the Kalahari to get to the amazing Okavango Delta. My memories of the Kalahari are of endless sand punctuated with ostriches, but this essay reveals how much moer there is to the area.

'The grass was a highsilver carpet. Bushes with their moonlit shadows, crowded in above my head, but failed to blot out the brilliant universe above. The primeval Kalahari was displaying its ancient, restless, nocturnal charms. Moments such as these are as precious as they are indescribable.'

This is particularly poignant reading in light of the fact that, for more than a decade, Botswana has been giving licences to international companies to carry out
fracking in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. This, despite the concerns of environmentalists, who are concerned that the rich wildlife of the area will suffer as a result and those of communities who could lose access to scarce water. Africa is changing, developing from a human perspective, but with what effects on its rich birdlife? This book will help readers to become aware of the wealth of birds on the continent, a wealth that can hopefully continue to flourish into the future.

This is the last (for now) in my series of reviews of books about birders. You can read the rest by following the links below:

Friday, 21 February 2014

My birdwatching walks are starting again next Monday (and are fully booked, so you won't be able to just turn up on the day!). One of the walks I'll be doing with the class is around the farm fields at Liberton Brae and into the Hermitage of Braid. I walked the route today, to check the state of the paths (which can get very muddy). Part of the route goes along the Braid Bridle Path, which feels like a secret passage between a busy road on one side and a golf course on the other

it's also very muddy at the moment, if it gets any muddier, I'll be taking the group along the pavement on the other side of the road!

Thursday, 20 February 2014

Chopstick bags are the most popular item in the Crafty Green Poet Etsy shop and I can barely keep up with demand! Here's the latest one, now in the shop. I made it from a remnant of some tie dyed fabric, a piece of satin ribbon that co-incidentally was exactly the right size, a pink plastic charm and a piece of grey and pink drawstring. I think this is one of my favourites to be honest.

These chopstick bags offer an an ideal way to carry around a pair of re-usable chopsticks so you can
avoid having to use the disposable ones that are the usual cutlery
choice in many Chinese restaurants. (Many disposable chopsticks are made
from the products of forest destruction, though to be fair some are
made from waste wood from the construction industry). There's a slightly
odd article here about how taking your own chopsticks can help save the environment,
which gives you some idea of the scale of the problem caused by
disposable chopsticks.

Wednesday, 19 February 2014

Great crested grebes 'traditionally' perform their courtship dances in February, spring seems to be slightly early this year and I did see two great crested grebes 'practising' their dance at Cramond a couple of weeks back. So, we decided to go to Linlithgow Loch today, because it is acknowledged to be the best place to see the great crested grebes dancing in the Edinburgh area:

However, we saw only one great crested grebe on the whole loch! Maybe we should have waited a week or two. Last year, we visited Linlithgow Loch right at the beginning of March and saw the full dances. It might have helped that that day was beautifully sunny, while today was dull and damp, not the best time to be dancing perhaps.

We did however see a lot of birds, including this cute coot, just starting to build a nest in a fallen tree:

And it's always pleasant to walk round Linlithgow Loch, with its views of Linlithgow Palace

Annoyingly, both my pairs of binoculars broke today, really bad timing considering I'm starting another series of birdwatching classes on Monday (and the class is fully booked, so if you're thinking of turning up on the day without booking, you won't have a place!).

As ever, red text contains hyperlinks that take you to other webpages where you can find out more.

Tuesday, 18 February 2014

During the 20th century, flawed nutritional theories and the industrialisation of food production lead to unhealthy dietary changes. Sugar consumption increased dramatically and processed foods became commonplace.

This book explores the social and economic forces that have propelled these
changes, including the current unnaturally close relationships between governmental nutritional advisors and biotechnology firms and the industrial processes and companies that produce the unhealthy foods so many of us eat.

The book also explores scientific methodology and explains modern scientific perspectives on
nutritional topics including fat,
cholesterol, fructose, gluten and detoxification. The narrative is very scientific in parts, so may be heavy going unless you're very interested in detailed nutritional information.

Clark lays out a comprehensive strategy for effortless weight loss,
improved digestion, and increased energy including a range of recipes and advice on cooking equipment and techniques. The whole book is exhaustively referenced so you could spend months reading up more on the topics covered here.

This is a very interesting read, though given all the contradictory advice that is out there, this book may only add to your feeling of confusion about what really is a healthy diet. And it's certainly a book to read section by section and then keep to refer to, rather than to read all at once.

Monday, 17 February 2014

Gorse is in bloom most of the year and looking beautiful at the moment in Colinton Dell, by the Water of Leith.

Also beautiful are the hazel trees, which at the moment are dripping in catkins:

and if you look really closely, you can see the lovely red female flowers too:

And I just love the contrast of colours between the bark and the moss on these trees. It's good too that the dead trees are allowed to lie, as they offer great habitat for invertebrates, which in turn offer great food for birds.

Song thrushes are in decline across the UK, but seem to thrive in Colinton Dell, they were singing their hearts out today, while robins were chasing each other excitedly around the bushes.

Sunday, 16 February 2014

14 - 21 February is National Nest Box Week in the UK. The week aims to encourage people to put up next boxes to give birds more places to nest. It's also a reminder that if you already have next boxes, now might be the best time to make sure they're still in good condition before the breeding season starts!

Natural nest sites that birds might use, such as holes in trees or old buildings
are disappearing fast in many places as gardens are ‘tidied’ and old houses are
repaired.

By taking part in National Nest Box Week you can help bird
conservation whilst enjoying observing the
birds that use your nest boxes.

Saturday, 15 February 2014

World Pangolin Day aims to raise
awareness of these unique and fascinating mammals and the problems they face. Pangolins are rapidly declining, particularly in Asia. Pangolin
trafficking is also becoming a serious problem in Africa.

In China, pangolin
scales are wrongly believed to be a cure-all of sorts and pangolin
flesh is considered a delicacy. There is no evidence that any part of the pangolin actually has medicinal properties.

In Vietnam, pangolins are frequently
offered at restaurants catering to wealthy patrons who want to eat rare
and endangered wildlife.

Thursday, 13 February 2014

Chopstick bags are by far the best selling items in the Crafty Green Poet Etsy shop. So I made a couple more recently, here they are. They both hold regular sized chopsticks, but the blue one is smaller because the piece of fabric I used was shorter! Both are made from repurposed fabric, the blue fabric appropriately enough comes from an old kimono.

These have both been added to my Etsy shop, you can find the blue one here and the multicoloured one has already sold, within minutes of being added to the shop!

These chopstick bags offer an an ideal way to carry around a pair of re-usable chopsticks so you can
avoid having to use the disposable ones that are the usual cutlery
choice in many Chinese restaurants. (Many disposable chopsticks are made
from the products of forest destruction, though to be fair some are
made from waste wood from the construction industry). There's a slightly
odd article here about how taking your own chopsticks can help save the environment,
which gives you some idea of the scale of the problem caused by
disposable chopsticks.

Tuesday, 11 February 2014

This is a brilliant novel, set in the world of twitchers (obsessive birdwatchers who are totally prepared to leap on a plane at a moments notice just to see a rare bird).

The narrator of the story is a young, foul mouthed cleaner who sometimes takes the law into his own hands when it comes to dealing with those responsible for crimes against birds (eg egg collectors or landowners who shoot and poison birds of prey). He's in an on-off relationship with Stevie, a young artist who makes a living illustrating bird books and they are joined in many of their bird trips by Bish, a Polish musician.

The book really gets into the obsessions of the birdwatching world (Freddi is himself a twitcher) with details such as:

Bish would pick out a first winter arctic tern in a flock of commons by the translucent triangle on the trailing edge of the upperwing - but anyone can do that.

It also deals with issues including wildlife crime, police brutality, tax evasion, depression, the loss of our wild places and the value of art, without trivialing them and while remaining entertaining throughout.

Definitely recommended, though the eccentric mix of specialised birding knowledge and urban gritty realism may mean it doesn't appeal to everyone.

Monday, 10 February 2014

It was very cold first thing this morning, but soon warmed up and was lovely in the bright sunshine.

Colinton Dell by the Water of Leith already smells of wild garlic, though the plants are only just emerging from the soil and won't flower for a while yet.

The hazel catkins are gorgeous just at the minute, this photo shows the male catkins, the smooth ones are less ripe than the larger fluffier ones.

and I was particularly pleased to get the shot below, which also shows the beautiful little red female flower, can you see her?

The birds certainly thought it was spring. Blue tits were chasing each other among the trees, song thrushes and a mistle thrush were singing, as were the robins and dippers, but these two latter species sing all year! Ialso had a lovely close sighting of a goldcrest, the tiniest British bird - a first for the year, so I've added that to my bird list!

The tawny owl though, had moved further into its hole, just its head peeking out today.

Thursday, 6 February 2014

As I wrote in a recent post on invasive species, the Water of Leith is home to a number of mink,
which originally got into the wild when over enthusiastic animal rights
activists released them from fur farms. Mink have been a huge problem
on British waterways, they are very aggressive and eat anything.
However, as our rivers have got cleaner and otters have returned then
they can help keep the mink under control (otters are much bigger than mink and will fight
them).

However in some places, the mink need a bit of human intervention to keep them under control.

The Scottish Mink Initiative works to protect native wildlife by removing breeding American mink from north Scotland and the Highlands. Since mink have been exterminated from the Trossachs, the
endangered water vole has
returned.

The River Forth Fisheries Trust and the Water of Leith Conservation Trust are working together to set up some mink rafts along
theWater of Leith in Edinburgh. Despite sounding like some sort of luxury boating experience
for the mink, the rafts are monitoring devices - the mink will run onto the
rafts and leave their footprints there so we can get some idea of how
active they are along the river. The raft will also record the presence of other waterside mammals, such as otters.

Yesterday I was at the Water of Leith Visitor Centre to help to set up a mink recording raft on the river and a night vision camera on a nearby tree.

While we were launching the raft onto the water, a mink appeared briefly and then a small otter appeared on the opposite side of the river and swam downriver for a few minutes, with all of following (quietly and at a discreet distance) after. Helen the manager of the Water of Leith Conservation Trust took this video. This was my best ever sighting of an otter and only the second time I've seen one along the Water of Leith.

Wednesday, 5 February 2014

(I first posted this book review in 2012 but am reposting it as part of my series of reviews of books about birders)

Subtitled A Social History of Birdwatching, this is an informative and entertaining look at the history of birdwatching and humans' overall relationship with birds.

The book looks at how our relationships with birds has changed from the early predator prey relationship through the Victorian era's obsession with shooting, collecting and either exhibiting or wearing birds to the current obsession of many birdwatchers to travel to as many remote places as possible for the sake of ticking as many species of birds off on a list. It also profiles the antagonism between these birdwatchers (also known as twitchers) and those who choose to concentrate on getting to know more common species in their local area. (A personal note - I'm not at all a twitcher, but I am very happy that my local area includes two places where I can regularly see less common birds and sometimes real rarities).

Along the way Moss looks at well known bird artists and writers and outlines the development of bird conservation, including the history of the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) from its roots as a group of middle aged women from a Manchester suburb who campaigned to stop birds being killed for the use of their feathers in hats to the current successful campaigning body with well over a million members.

The book is full of entertaining stories about birdwatchers and birds and overflows with enthusiasm for the subject. If you're a birdwatcher you'll be totally engrossed and any non-birdwatchers will hopefully be set on the road to at least understanding those of us who are, if not taking up the pastime themselves!

A Bird in the Bush, A Social History of Birdwatching by Stephen Moss. Published by Aurum

You can read my previous reviews of books about birders by following the links below:

Tuesday, 4 February 2014

The search is on for the most lovable tree, a tree with a story that can bring the community together.
The participating trees have already won national contests.

If you're in the UK, you can for example vote for The Oak at the Gate of the Dead in Wrexham, Wales or for Neil Gow's Oak in Perthshire in Scotland. The contest in Scotland and Wales was organised by the Woodland Trust.

Niel Gow’s Oak stands on the bank of the River
Tay, on land owned by Forestry Commission Scotland. near Dunkeld. According to local legend 18thcentury
fiddler Niel Gow wrote many of his most famous tunes underneath the
tree. To mark the launch of the contest, singer Dougie MacLean performed his
interpretation of Niel Gow’s “Farewell to Whisky” under the oak to start
the campaign for votes.

photo from the Woodland Trust, used with permission

The European Tree of the Year contest is a lovely way to celebrate ancient trees and the wonderful addition they make to our landscapes, parks and cities. Voting is open until 28th February 2014. The results will be announced at the
Award Ceremony in Brussels on the 19th March 2014.

As ever, red text contains hyperlinks that take you to other websites where you can find out more.

Monday, 3 February 2014

The birds were all chasing each other today in Colinton Dell by the Water of Leith. I saw a very exciteable group of blue tits flying round a tree stump, a dipper pair checking out holes in the river bank and a wren prospecting an old moss covered fallen tree.